Motor vehicles are generally equipped with a variety of instruments for providing information on the status of the vehicle. These instruments often include a speedometer for indicating the speed of the vehicle, a tachometer for showing the speed of the engine, and various other gauges for showing engine temperature and fluid levels, for example. Similar instrumentation is present on aircraft, boats, motorcycles and other vehicles.
These instruments often include analog gauges wherein a needle or pointer is mounted on the rotary output shaft of a gauge motor and assumes different positions based on the control signal received by the gauge. These instruments have many unique designs and styles, including the appearance of graphics, gauge layout, backlighting, and trim. However, though these instruments are uniquely designed for each brand vehicle, they are manufactured in a high volume capacity and from an individual view, they loose their uniqueness. For individuals and for limited production vehicle manufacturers, there has been a need to “personalize” or customize the original instruments in their vehicles.
One attempt to create customization of the original instruments has been by means of a thin graphic overlay, which in some cases includes nighttime backlighting. This custom graphic overlay is purchased and installed by an individual. The individual has to first remove the instrument cluster from the vehicle. Once the instrument cluster is removed, the instrument cluster bezel or mask has to be removed.
The addition of the graphic overlay is usually achieved by an adhesive means. This attachment of the graphic overlay usually involves the gauge pointers and the original graphic overlay, which have to be removed first. Once the pointers are removed, the original graphic overlay then can be removed. The custom graphic overlay can then be pressed directly to the OEM lightpipe or gauge assembly.
After the custom graphic overlay is attached, the instrument cluster must be re-calibrated. Often the instrument cluster is very difficult to re-calibrate or is not re-calibrated properly. In some cases, tools are supplied with the custom graphic overlay to assist in the sensitive task of pointer re-calibration. Overall, the task of re-calibration by individuals and even in limited vehicle production plants is not preferred and may cause damage to the instrument cluster.
Another attempt to create customization of the original instruments has been by means of supplying new instruments all together. This involves replacing the entire original instrument cluster or adding to the original cluster a new set of gauges or instruments along with attaching additional electrical interfaces to the vehicle. For example, an original analog instrument cluster can be replaced with a complete digital instrument cluster or display. This, however, is quite costly and is usually applied to “hot rods” where multiple individual gauges are updated with a single digital instrument display or additional gauge information.
An exploded view of a typical OEM instrument cluster assembly, shown in FIG. 1 is included to provide a better understanding of the present invention. The cluster assembly includes a bezel and lens sub-assembly attached to a molded housing and enclosing a gauge sub-assembly. A printed electronics circuit (electronic circuitry) is attached to the rear of the housing and is protected by a rear cover.
The bezel and lens sub-assembly provides protection and possible decoration to the gauge sub-assembly as well as means for mounting in the vehicle. The gauge sub-assembly includes multiple analog gauges and display attached to a molded gauge support which may be a lightpipe. A graphic overlay is attached to the face of the gauge sub-assembly with pointers on the gauge shafts. The molded housing contains the gauge sub-assembly and provides for additional mounting support to the vehicle. The printed electronic circuit provides signals to the gauge sub-assembly and interfaces with the vehicle electrical system.